Collagesity 2016 Later 03b (Oct 02 of 02)

New Collagesity Gallery/Mall

*Finally*, after a number of weeks trying, I think I’ve found the right choice for Collagesity’s central building and the way to display the Art 10×10 within. SoSo’s the name I’m calling it, representing a combo of gallery and mall. Let’s take a look…

First off, I want to explain that I’ve also now established an official, central teleporting spot for the town, and when you land there you are immediately confronted with the names of all the town’s 5 major galleries: Fal Mouth Moon, Power Tower, SoSo, Red Umbrella, and Boos. And you can physically see all of these galleries as well, with the exception of Boos and Red Umbrella.

Each of these 5 galleries also contains a teleporter, linking them together that way as well. Everything is more cohesive and tight knit now. Collagesity is maturing before my eyes. It now has a true, beating heart. And, at present count, 259 prims still to play around with (!). Pretty amazing. 24 buildings make up the town, with only one being a filler structure (1 prim Lafayette Grocery and Deli on the north side).

Power Tower and SoSo to west, w/ additional sign for Red Umbrella and Boos.

Fal Mouth Moon to east.

Bodega Market now part of SoSo Gallery/Mall. Beside it is a telporter leading up to Collagesity Heights and the theatre.

A new way for Karoz to get to his upstairs apartment.

Big E. Central to Karoz’s TILE game/philosophy/religion. More on that soon!

Part 2 of 2 of mall ahead.

Stairs leading down to other parts of Collagesity. These stairs use to be the main conduit between its east and west sides.

SoSo (and those stairs) looking from the west.

SoSo, part 2 of 2.

Starbuccaneers is now a part of the mall. So is what I’m now calling SoSo North here (formerly just SoSo itself).

A way into Central Tower from the mall.

Central Tower.

SoSo now displays 40 of the 100 collages making up the Art 10×10. There’s still 2007’s Oblong series in SoSo “North”. And now 2009’s Wheeler-Jasper in SoSo proper (the mall part), with Wheeler in part 1 and Jasper in part 2 as we’ve deemed them here. But, like I said, it’s all SoSo now. Compare this to the 60 displayed in Gallery Jack before, and the 80 in the Toxic Art gallery. But on the other hand, all of the present works are for sale, and SoSo contains several links to the full Art 10×10 over in the Cayuga sim. All in all, this is definitely a better scenario. You get a good chunk of the 10×10 collages, and can choose to see all of them if you wish, or explore the other town galleries instead with the newer stuff.

I think this general situation will last. It’s just such a nifty way to link a lot of formerly separated things.

10/17/16 Notes 01

Collagesity now has at least 24 separate structures, with only one obviously filler (1 prim Lafayette Grocery and Dairy on the north side). Character development will drive future structure development and visa versa.

Baker Bloch could be enscounced in the Norum Gallery attic once more. He takes in his nice view.

Where you sleep is where you are.

Karoz still rents his upstairs apt. above the Bodega market. At first he complained about having to access it through the new SoSo Mall, but now he’s okay with the idea. Baker Blinker is still down at Gloomy Gus. I decided that Baker Bloch and Baker Blinker should chat inworld.

—–

“Blinks, how’s it going. Do you have some time tonight to meet me somewhere and talk?”

“Well, I’m pretty busy with my World of Lemon journal, but what the heck. If that’s what our user wants I suppose I have to comply.”

“You mean Karoz or baker b.?” She shares a small smile with Baker Bloch, then continues more seriously. “Yes, Karoz has changed. We all have. Well…”

“Not me,” Baker Bloch finishes for her.

“No, but that’s good. You are a stable point. Hucka Doobie in a smaller way. But we’ve all changed in our own ways. You — not as much your looks as just in building the town and keeping it clean and tidy. You are the custodian. And doing a wonderful job.”

“Thanks. I am baker b. more than all others.”

“Kind of,” Baker Blinker responds.

“Let’s meet at Rhoda’s. Is that okay? — it’s about halfway between us.”

“Alright,” Baker Blinker replies. “See you in just a minute.”

—–

On the way over, Baker Blinker then senses someone in the woods.

She checks remotely using the inworld map as a guide. No avatar there. “Ghosts,” she mutters.

She changes her face to the one Baker Bloch is most familiar with. She doesn’t want him to feel more out of place or uncomfortable than he already is.

She also removes her right left earring. She’s married now! she remembers. Good ol’ Karoz. Always trying so hard, always plugg’n away at this and that idea. TILE is next, she understands. But she kind of has her own religion now. The two will clash, she realizes. Are clashing.

She gets the heck out of haunted Rubi.

“Good morning, Jim. Nice day. Well, it’s always a nice day on *this* side of town.” Jim doesn’t respond. Baker Blinker wonders the same thing that Baker Bloch did earlier. Why some flatties alive? she thinks. Why some not? And then one condition can change into another. Like Furry Karl. Good ol’ Furry Karl. Back fully animated and alive now. He’s a stable point too.

Now beside the Orange Bar, Baker Blinker sees Baker Bloch approaching from the other direction on Old Cannon Road. “After you fine lady,” he says to her.

10/17/16 Notes 02

“Where’d the bookshelf come from, Furry Karl?”

“Like you don’t know,” Karl responded, off script again and improvising/reacting. He checks something under the bar, then. “Ahem, getting back on script — says here that it will be used to block the portal. You see that Climbing Light trying to get in? Well, there’s more where he comes from.” He’s now saying/reading all this rather robotically, by the way, attempting to improvise sarcasm, which is also not indicated in the script.

“Hmmm,” says Baker Bloch. “I didn’t even see that thing when entering the bar. How ’bout you Blinks?”

“Me neither,” Baker Blinker lies.

“Ne meither,” Little Climbing Light’s brother<sister Curled Papers also lies from the other end of the bar. His light is now on. He’s alive. Baker Bloch cannot turn toward Curled Paper to his side and Baker Blinker has to do it for him.

“You see,” says Karl without sarcasm now. “Backwards. It’s all backwards Baker Bloch. And Baker Blinker. The whole town has turned around into itself. Like a broken bottle, er, record, er…”

“Mobius strip,” adds Baker Blinker, trying to seem smart. She *is* very smart, but she doesn’t feel like she appears so sometimes. It’s the whole wrestling confederation scenario and its more physical nature. She wants to trump up the brains aspect of it all. She wishes to exercise the grey matter. She might even wish to become grey.

“I’m thinking of changing my color, Baker Bloch,” she pipes up. “I’m going to figure out what Karl is talking about. I’m going to become grey.”

“Okay,” he says. “Do you want me to change with you?”

—–

5 minutes later.

“Well,” says Karl between them now. “Are you going to answer her?”

“What’s happening to you guys?”

Spiderhorse 01

Karoz Blogger:

We must send Spider back into the collages, Carrcassonnee. There is no other choice.

Carr.:

I agree. But I cannot separate from my eye [at the same time]. Collagesity will collapse.

Karoz:

Then I will have to take it — you — with me.

Carr.:

I cannot move. I am immobile.

Karoz:

We’ll have to figure out a way.

Carr.:

Hucka Doobie wants to speak with you tonight. She says to meet her at the bar diner at 20:00 o’clock.

Karoz:

That’s 3 minutes from now!

Carr.:

You better hurry. She doesn’t like to wait.

—–

“Where is the f-er,” she thinks.

Spiderhorse 02

“I’m so sorry, Hucka Doobie. I went to the bar instead of the diner here. Carrcassonnee didn’t correct her speech in the blog until after I left. But the bar was closed — no sign of Furry Karl or anyone else there. I checked the portal very quickly to make sure it remained unblocked. I figured you were down here.”

“No sign of Starbuccarina[ either]?” Hucka Doobie was still irritated but getting over it. Her left eye twitched nervously, but she had the glasses on. No weakness shown.

“No,” answered Karoz. “The great 3-n-1 must be in mothballs once more.”

“You work for me, right?”

“Yes, Hucka Doobie. I’ve worked for you for a long time.”

“I’m going to give you your next assignment. You will go into the collages, the nexus. Inside Spider will become a horse. Ride that horse to the next town over and dismount. Don’t look to the left. Don’t look to the right. Just straight ahead. Go to the end of the road. Enter the bar or diner or whatever is there. Don’t speak to anyone. Just go over to the person who doesn’t have a head and ask where you are. Because he’s the only one who can’t tell you. When you get that information, go into the back room and lie down and wait for sleep. When it comes you will be in the place he incorrectly told you about. This is the nexus. Wait for Spongeberg. That is all.”

“Hucka Doobie, I have so many questions about Baker Blinker and Wheeler and Furry Karl…”

“All that will have to wait. Go into the nexus. Lie down and wake up in a better place. The green, green hills. We have ended.”

Collage Study 01

Hope neighbor Art Oluja isn’t pulling out already. Need to get over to her other parcels and see what amazing things she’s been up to. Soon!

“Moss like me,” he says upon spying Boss Moss in what might be the most complex collage of the series. Actually that would make a good title for an autobiography. He remembers that door beside him from another collage just viewed involving Lisa the Vegetarian and The Beatles. The one with a prostrate Shadowy Figure.

“I’ve got to get back in there!” Karoz declares (meaning Stonethwaite).

Collage Study 02

Karoz moves over to the Red Umbrella just next door. “There’s Story Room again. Showing up in a collage at my college that almost was real to us! But not quite,” he then follows, still muttering to himself. “Collage and Second Lyfe remained separated (and that’s probably a good thing).”

“I’m in this one. Multiple me’s.”

Unfallen Karoz.

Fallen Karoz. Equals Scatman Crothers.

Boos gallery is next for Karoz.

Mars images abound.

This one would become especially important a bit later on.

Collage Study Analysis 01

Karoz needed to talk to someone about his theories concerning the collages he just reviewed, but there was no one left in town that he knew well. Baker Bloch and Baker Blinker had disappeared. Hucka Doobie had already given him his assignment, which he was attempting to carry out. Carrcassonnee seemed finished with him too for the moment. There was always Furry Karl, but the bar was still closed for some reason. No one here. Then Karoz realized he could ask Wheeler to join him. Dare he?

—–

“It pleases me that you’ve changed, Karoz. Baker Blinker is happier too. When she comes back you will be rewarded. She has entered the blue and the grey. Civil War.”

“What does that mean, Wheeler?”

“It means one comes out a victor and one does not. It’s always about directions. But we’ve not come here to discuss that particular subject. Blinks can wait. Collages are up. I’m trying to help. I’m trying to further the Collagesity cause. So spit it out.” She then softens her voice. “Please.”

“True enough,” responds Wheeler. She takes another sip of her 4 shot latte. Starbuccarina is still guarding the portal next door, but they were nevertheless able to retrieve the drinks from her. Good ol’ Starbuccarina. She’s a winner, Wheeler thinks. Not just a mere creation of fairyland.

“I’ve studied the collages in Falmouth, Red Umbrella, and Boos tonight. I believe Hucka Doobie is telling me to go back to Stonethwaite. I went there once before. To retrieve Story Room, or attempt to retrieve them. They were suppose to teach the course at my Noru college called “Composing with the Colors Red, Yellow, and Blue.”

“True enough,” says Wheeler again.

“I think they are me in summary. Me as baker b.”

“Yes,” she says. She is wise in this way.

“It’s the three ways I create music, or created music. Because I don’t really do it any longer.”

“I’m sorry that you do not approve of my important hobby, but Blinks does and that’s the important thing I’ll say about that right now. To you.”

This is the kind of stuff Karoz didn’t want to deal with tonight. He wanted to focus on the collages and his assignment. Yet here was Wheeler, trying to draw him into the entanglement. He resisted for now. He wanted to see his analysis through. *Then* he would ask some questions about all that.

“He’s just Master here,” Wheeler corrected. “But he holds the keys to the Civil War and which way it will flip. Depends on if he has one of those General Grants in his back pocket still.” She stifles a grin, but then wonders if she should have said President Lincoln there instead.

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it.” Karoz was trying not to get sidetracked still. “But that’s where the opening occurred before,” he repeats. “I just walk into the collage and I’m in Stonethwaite, just like [I did] in Noru. I can talk to Story Room that way; get their story. Hucka Doobie says to talk to the one without a head, so I’ll have to check that. Might be the blue guy.”

“Steptoe,” responds Wheeler firmly. “Use to date. He was something of a perv.”

“Yes, that was his name. Or is.” Karoz let the ‘perv’ description stand as is without further comment.

“So it’s settled,” says Wheeler. “You go to Stonethwaite again. You know how to do it. Anything else tonight? I’ve got to get back to my training.” She thought of asking something else but held back. Karoz didn’t need to go in that direction.

Collage Study Analysis 02

“I’m trying to shut up so you can talk. I was attempting to put a pearl in my mouth. Didn’t work.”

Karoz let that drop and continued. “I’m reviewing again[ in my head]. Just a moment.” Wheeler didn’t say anything. After a pause, Karoz said, “Aw heck, I know what to do, like you said. I just need to go beyond Second Life in some way, materialize the 2130 dimension again, and walk in and talk to Story Room and especially the headless one.”

“Okay. So when I fall I turn into a black man. Like Scatman Crothers in that Shining film.

“Shiny Hare,” Wheeler says. They both let that hang in the air for a moment.

“The 10th”, Karoz finally utters, which Wheeler quickly agreed to. “It’s obviously black and white, on and off, north and south… blue and grey. Like in Gray, Maine, with the 1 soldier who doesn’t belong there and is part of the enemy scourge but was still accepted in death.”

“North and south,” Wheeler reiterates. “One comes out a victor. And it’s not going to be the right one.”

“And then there’s the whole Mars/ Martian thing. That comes along in Boos. Should I also go to Tungaske, Wheeler? You’ve been there too, I assume.”

“Oh yeah. That’s where Steptoe and I met. He was with Linda at the time.” Wheeler’s face screws up. “Was it Linda? Oh… I think it was Lisa. Yes, Lisa.”

“Lisa the Vegetarian?” Karoz asks. Then he realizes Wheeler was just playing with him. Wheeler was not with Steptoe in Tungaske.

“And the last time I talked to you and Baker Blinker, the 2 Bakers, you were turning all blue and lightning-y. What gives?”

“We decided to go somewhere. Talk to someone. Someone else. Not of this town.”

“Well, Baker Bloch, I’m all ears.”

[Baker’s reply blocked]

Furry Karl looked very surprised. “How are *those* mofos?”

“I have an idea,” interrupted Curled Paper in a crisp, slightly rattly voice, still sitting at the end of the bar and reading his Winesap book with the twinned Swifts within. “It’s a bright one.”

After a pause where no one says anything, Baker Bloch whispers to Karl behind his hand: “Is he a fixture here now, Karl?”

“I don’t think he has anywhere else to go,” came Furry Karl’s less whispered reply. “And then there’s the other one: Little Climbing Light. He’s worst than the first one, to quote Oz again.” Then they both realized how impolite they were in continuing to not answer Curled Paper’s question. Baker Bloch turns toward him. Or her.

“Of course you can give us — share with us your idea, Curled Paper. It is Curled Paper, right?”

“Correct. Mr. Paper to some. I’m from Nautilus as well, as is my brother LCL. You imply that he’s the more evil one — I overheard; I know Oz — but we are not evil. Just misplaced. We do not belong here. We are wishing also (like Wheeler?) to return to Nautilus. The northern part. The place of not Oz but Mars.”

“Interesting,” states Baker Bloch. “What do you think of the lower part? Do you call that (in part) Austra as well?”

“The whole continent is Austra,” came Curled Paper’s reply. “At least it use to be. The place of lemony goodness. There we were respected and honored as a unique species of avatars. Here (in the land of Lindens) we are just shunned. Here it is white male or white female. Correct proportions, but curiously with large rumps for the female species usually. And larger chests and breasts (for both). I know of the real world counterparts. What gives on that, Baker Bloch and Furry Karl? Enlighten me on that. And, yes, I’ll get to my idea in a moment. It’s a good one. It will lighten up your lives as well.”

Furry Karl gives his slant on the subject. “This is not the real world, Curled — can I call you just Curled?”

“That is fine.”

“So, Curled, let me explain to you something, and I’m tapping into my flattie culture for this one. Down here — in Lala-land; that’s Second Lyfe to you and me — things get a bit mixed up at times. The women think they need to look one way when the men don’t think so. Same for the men with the women. All’s we have to do is *stray* from the so-called normal — here — to get the correct focus and perspective. That’s from the perspective of us flatties. The 3d-ers have it wrong (in terms of general “normal”). There’s not enough diversity. That’s why you and your kind are certainly welcome in Collagesity, and I’m sure Baker Bloch would agree.”

“Most definitely,” Baker Bloch assures Curled Paper. He speaks to Karl: “Buy my new friend a drink for me. Let’s make certain he’s welcome here from now on. He’s not a joke or novelty avatar. He’s just who he is. Look at Karoz, for Christ’s sake. Remember when those witches gypsies over at The Moon of Maebaleia tried to get him a makeover, Karl? That was frigg’n 7 years ago (!). So I would add to Karl’s response, Curled, and say to you that you are *born* here with certain attributes, and that is your legacy, your heritage. Cherish it. Don’t be afraid to change who you are, but make sure the thing you change into is still the you from birth. The soul does not change.”

“Well put, Baker Bloch. Here’s your beer Curled Paper. You can drink free the rest of the week, matter of fact. And get your brother in on the deal as well.”

“He only stands,” says Curled Paper. “He can’t get in because of the door. You sank the bar too low.”

“So *that’s* what that was all about,” exclaims Furry Karl, looking toward the bar’s orange entrance. “You’re not witches atall!”

“Maybe it’s time to move that bookcase out of the way now, Karl,” a standing Baker offers, looking toward same. We have enough blocks in town as is, he then thinks.

Blocks

Tom the Busker was schedule to perform at Starbuccaneers on the night of Tuesday, October 26th, but we instead found him encased in a force field of his own choosing. He wishes not to be famous. He is blocking fame and wealth. Another blocker.

So in place of a pleasant evening listening to the avant-gard stylings of a master at his trade, Baker Blinker and Baker Bloch mainly stare at each other in muted desperation. Spongeberg is also at Starbuccaneers.

“How’s the sushi here?” he asks the couple beside him, trying to help.

“I — I don’t know lady,” Spongeberg stammers. “I don’t live here. I just came to hear the music. Tom whats-his-name. Tom Busker? No: Tom the Busker. Actually, I don’t know his last name. I just heard he was good. Furry Karl recommends him. So does Cardboard. You know Cardboard (don’t you)? Lady? Hey lady?”

“What’s she doing out there now?”

—–

Baker Bloch blocks the Blue Feather back up as they leave. They’ll get no reasonable food there this evening. “Haunted,” he finishes.

Blue Feather

Despite the obvious ghostliness of the place, Baker Bloch keeps working on the Blue Feather club, shooting for an official opening on Halloween. 4 days away! Fresh-from-the-woods Syd Barrett Gothic tries out for the maitre d’ position. Part of his pitch is the high fantasy angle, like bragging to future customers that Dick Clark once lip synched the Star Spangle Banner at a 4th of July party here back in ’26.

Baker cannot make the crooked straight in this place for the life of him. Truly haunted.

There is already controversy in the private club’s direction. Wheeler wants to make it more a gym setting. She wishes to replace the table Baker Bloch is sitting at below, for example, with a weight machine. Wheeler is rather obsessed with training — in both body and mind. She argues that the town diner just across the road can provide customers with food and beverage. We’ll see what shapes up.

One thing we’ll have here and that’s dancing. Wheeler and others are making sure of that. Just how much variation is yet to be determined. As any regular of Second Lyfe will know, everyone is such a good dancer here that it’s a shame to waste all that talent. It is estimated by one source that 50 percent of an avatar’s time in this virtual reality is spent dancing, with sleeping being a distant second at 13 percent.

Weighty Past

“Weighty Past”?

Is *this* the true beginning of the Bogota series?

I’ve thought this before; false start, however. But — interesting — that picture texture is now rezzing in for me where it wasn’t before.

Maybe this time I’ll create a loose set of collages based on Collagesity settings. Perhaps meaningful that several Moon of Moon characters (Prissy, Bender) show up in “Weighty Past”. They’ve been almost completely absent from the blog since their creation in Feb./March of this year. High fantasy indeed.

And here’s (drum roll please): Hucka D.

Hucka D.:

I don’t know neither.

bb:

Whether it’s the start. True start.

Hucka D.:

Yes. Maybe you better ask Carrcassonnee.

bb:

Shucks — hoping you were back.

—–

Instead, Wheeler helped me as Baker Bloch out. Interesting.

“Prissy and Bender, eh? But as I understand, that rock and Tyle Cube also represent the 6 sided Moon of the Moon, with equilateral gravity now. Correct?”

“Correct, Wheeler. What about Rutherford “Booger” Hayes? He’s a collage regular as well. He has a history within. And there’s Spider — Spider! Remember when Carrcassonnee stated he had to go back into the collages. Well, perhaps there he is! Maybe he’s not in the gazebo any more. Maybe he’s found a way in.”

“Where’s Baker Blinker tonight?” Wheeler then asks.

“Dunno.”

“Well, I’m more interested right now in the Moon of the Moon and how to get back there. There’s a labyrinth on that satellite’s satellite. Like Rock 01 has a labyrinth, and the same kind (7 circuit). Maybe you better stick that in your pipe and smoke it.”

“The Moon of the Moon was indeed squared — squaring the circle, or, in this case, sphering the cube. That expression just came up in a Space Ghost episode I watched today. Its name was Piledriver LINK. It starred my father, of course, and then *his* grandfather, who looked like my father with a grey beard pasted on his face. He mentioned a squared circle just out of the blue (4:40). Here, I’ll pull up the related video. We can go up to the theatre and watch; I think you’ll like it.”

“I suppose I have time,” Wheeler said. “I have to…”

“Have to what?”

“You know. Get to the shed.”

“Wheeler, you’re the only entity I know from Collagesity that has to regularly use the restroom. I can wait.”

Problem was, it usually took hours. Like Superman.

“I’ll be up at the gazebo when you’re done. Perhaps talking to Carrcassonnee. Perhaps not. But I’ll be there. Waiting.”

“Good.” She entered.

Day After 01

Baker Bloch can’t resist taking a sunrise snapshot of the Rubi Woods from the Blue Feather club while making his morning rounds.

The creepy, crooked men from the past had to go, Baker feels. He makes the picture blank for now.

One of Baker’s jobs as town custodian is to make sure all the street lights are turned off at dawn and then switched back on at dusk.

In this vein, he’s also just turned out all of the lamps at the Blue Feather. Busy night last night there. Maybe he can delegate that particular responsibility to Syd Barrett Gothic, when he comes on the payroll. If he’s added — there’s the whole Wheeler controversy about not having food or drinks served at the club. Orange Bar owner Furry Karl, not surprisingly, has her back on this. The Bakers’ are split. Karoz is for drinks and not food. He just wants to enjoy the space, glass of absinthe in hand. The green fairy.

Sunrise:

He inspects the Confluence Pool for trash and scum.

Wheeler’s shed…

… has to go. “Can’t afford 11 more prims,” Baker talks to himself. “Plus it doesn’t belong there. I should make Wheeler responsible for rezzing her own bathrooms or whatever she’d call them. Changing rooms, perhaps.” More delegation. It pleases him to consider.

“Hmmm, those collages. Are they official? Spider is still up in Carrcassonne’s gazebo, so maybe not.”

Up he goes into the bowels of spooky, red-lit Castle Jack.

Is the town, as a whole, overvaluing its past as VWX Town, Rubi style? I *did* have more land and prims to work with there than at any other time in My Second Lyfe existence, but Collagesity (its successor town) has been around for almost 2 1/2 years now, and represents a deeper and truer well of history. VWX Town — 3 years back now — was so short lived in comparison. Couldn’t afford that much land for too long. Still, the experience was invaluable.

Red=Rubi.

Day After 02

Baker Bloch finds Karoz Blogger in the old lighthouse part of Castle Jack, staring toward the Sikkima sinkhole — another place we’ve had a town (New Pietmond, 2012/2013).

“They ran out of absinthe at the Blue Feather last night,” he says while still gazing at the sinkhole. I smashed my empty goblet in disgust. Baker Blinker had to walk me home.”

“Don’t you live in the same place now?” Baker offered. But Karoz didn’t answer. Instead he points toward the depression in the distance.

“The past-future is hard to erase, Baker Bloch. I try to blank it out. Yet bad men come into focus still. Bad things.”

“I’ve seen the collage where Tom the Busker inexplicably plays at the Blue Feather in ’26, Karoz, the new one from our user.”

“*Your* user. I’m trying to become independent of all that. Baker Blinker is helping. The absinthe might be helping except we don’t have any. That wasn’t a problem in Norum. I could always hop down to Chilbo and pick up a new box of bottles.” He sighs. “Maybe I’m just homesick. I don’t really belong here, Baker Bloch. Despite Baker Blinker. It just doesn’t *feel* right.”

Baker Bloch was thinking that he doesn’t have this same problem. He likes Rubi. Perhaps even loves it — yes, he loves it. He loves sunrise in the Rubi Woods. He enjoys making the town rounds at dawn and dusk. He enjoys reading over at the library. Furry Karl’s follow up to “Blood Curdling Tells of the Rubi Woods” will be out soon. Baker’s broken the spine on the original, he’s read it so often. “The part about the Tinbaby, ooo,” he thinks, getting shivers. But he must return his attention to Karoz’s problem. The problem he doesn’t have, pretty obviously. Baker walks to Karoz’s side and likewise stares outward, thinking about comforting.

“How’d I get to be so much taller than you?” is all he could manage, though.

Blue Feathers

“You see, you don’t have to worry. Wheeler sets it up and I bowl them down. It’s a good partnership. It’s the way it’s suppose to be. Drink your fresh bottle of absinthe and quit complaining. I have everything under control. *We* do.”

“Okay. But Hucka Doobie still wants to talk to you.”

—–

“So this is where all the magic happens, eh?”

“Suppose so, Hucka Doobie. Did you want to talk about something specific today? I don’t mind answering any questions.”

“No, no. Just catching up. Remember when we said we were going to meet weekly for a cup of joe? Well it’s been about a month.”

“Sure you don’t want to sit down? Or we can move over to the diner again. I think they ran out of a lot of the drinks last night. Kind of a pre-Halloween party. The gateway was opened.”

“To the past… I heard.” Hucka Doobie doesn’t want to look over at Baker Blinker’s pitch black eyes again. “Heard Wheeler played some mean avant-gard stylings on her 23 prim guitar. She entered the squared circle. She played well. So…” Hucka Doobie paused, not wanting to hurt the feelings of her dear friend.

“What is it, Hucka Doobie? Is it Wheeler? Like I was telling Karoz, it’s all under control. I know what I’m doing.”

“Time to get back on the keyboard Baker Blinker. We’ve got a show coming up!”

Baker complied.

—–

“Well that’s just wonderful Blinks. Is that a Spongeberg? Have they even been invented yet?”

Baker Blinker tried to speak but found that she had lost her voice. The piano kept playing.

“Yes. Avant-gard,” spoke Wheeler. “Just as I requested. Third time’s the charm. Who am I Baker Blinker? Who am I really? I have you now. Just like I wished. Maybe that little birdie can tell you.”

—–

BF Halloween Party 01

Baker Bloch and Wheeler were the first to arrive. Baker came as Steptoe Butte, the only “costume” he owned besides the Space Ghost one, which he thought would be too obvious. Wheeler came as… well, let’s just tune into the conversation, shall we?

“I’ll cut you off at the Bowie picture, Wheeler.”

“Well… what are you going to put there, then? You can’t leave it blank for the party. What’ll it be, old crook Hayes or new crook Nixon? You’re wrong about Hayes, by the way. It was Grant who was the real asshole. Hayes is the one who ended all that asshole-i-ness. The great 3-n-1 he is. At least in the dimension I prefer to view him… attached to.” She tried to think of a better way to put that and became silent.

“Ahh, Hucka Doobie my old man. Er, woman,” Baker calls as he turns to the door. You came as yourself in the past, I see.”

“Lest anyone forget,” she said. “I was bee through and through at the beginning.”

“Along those lines, I have a surprise for you a bit later in the party, Hucka Doobie,” Wheeler offered. “And — welcome as well. But first I have to run over to BoB to take some pictures of myself. I’ll be back shortly.” Wheeler vanishes.

“Greetings Syd Barrett,” Hucka Doobie, says upon meeting the flattie at the line between the old Edwardston Building and Small Gothic Castle. “See you’re still a man on the border, eh?”

“Hold out your right hand,” a non-amused Syd Barrett Gothic responds blankly, then stamps it with a blue feather.

“Thanks Syd.” She walks over to Baker.

“So I see we’re going to have some action tonight,” she says, staring with Baker at what town residents have begun calling the Squared Circle.

“Yup. It’s the contest for Collagesity as a whole.”

“Again,” Hucka Doobie tags on.

“Yup.”

BF Halloween Party 02

“Sorry, I had to log out and back on there, Hucka Doobie. I couldn’t even see the picture up [on the wall] to change the texture. But I’ve decided on what to put there. Better do it while Wheeler is away.” He inserts the texture, then adjusts the picture, changing it from a vertical to horizontal crookedness. “What do you think?”

“Of course,” says the headless Baker. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Nor would I,” replies Hucka. “Remember all those good times we had in the White Palace. So much theorizing!”

“Theorizing that won’t be wasted,” Baker then adds. “Our user is going to start working on a proper front to back presentation for both the blogs.”

“Wonderful,” Hucka Doobie says. He thinks of “Octopus” and Tic Toc with swinging arms all around — the Octopus “ride”. Defeating the wheelers, he then realizes. Hmmm, maybe Baker has more up his sleeve than he’s letting on.

The album’s title came about as a result of co-producer David Gilmour mishearing a line from this song (“Well, the mad cat laughed at the man on the border…” – although the word “madcap” does figure in another of the song’s lyrics, “To a madcap galloping chase”). “Octopus” is known for being Barrett’s only single as a solo artist. It was released on 14 November 1969, two months before the release of The Madcap Laughs.[9] In France, the single gained a picture sleeve, which had the drawing of an octopus on it.[10]

BF Halloween Party 03

Hucka Doobie is all like, “yes, yes, yes!” He wants to see his two favorite people in the world swinging around together in complete harmony. The great 3-n-1. Just like the good old days in Azure Islands.

But it doesn’t turn out to be quite the eloquent choreography he imagined. Oh well. Still fun!

BF Halloween Party 04

Karoz then explains to them about the fight. Wheeler manifests just in time to take a threatening pose, punctuating his spiel.

“You’re going down tonight buddy boy,” she says in a tough guy voice. “And I’m going to use Hucka Doobie’s anatomy to do it, just to rub it in. Rub it all the way in. Tonight Collagesity will be *mine*.” She turns toward the others, eyes afire. “But first, Hucka and I must do the dance of death. Remember the dance we rehearsed?”

“We did?” Hucka Doobie exclaims. Baker Blinker eyes her bee friend evily. “Oh yeah, we did, huh. Didn’t know it was the dance of *death*. But, sure, we can do that for the others. It’s Halloween after all. The one day talking about gruesome death and dismemberment is okay.”

“Right.” Wheeler jumps onto the dance pad. And turns into a bee for all to bee-hold. Halfway through it got even stranger. “About ready for that fight Karoz?” Wheeler called to him during the frenzy. In the aftermath Hucka Doobie lay on the floor, not quite dead but seemingly close to it. Wheeler changed back to Bowie.

BF Halloween “Party”

Seldom seen Murdoch came all the way from Middletown to protest the fight and possible destruction of Collagesity. But when Wheeler explained to him what squaring the circle actually meant, the street magician yielded and returned to his own circle.

Blue-green Hummingbird sprang off Wheeler’s upper back and whispered something in her ear.

“Of course you have my permission to attend another party, Hummie.” Wheeler then indicates the presence of Baker Blinker with a wave. “Blinks is already here. She will not be showing up *again*. No need for you to hang around. Be gone… enjoy!”

Baker Blinker suddenly realized what this meant. “This is it,” she says aloud to Baker Bloch beside her. “This is what we feared.” She looked over at the bowie knife laying on the edge of Barrett’s table, the one that cuts both ways.

“I’ll cut her so far back she’ll turn into a Monkee,” she then hisses.

Baker Bloch shakes his head vigorously for no one to see. “That’s what she wants. That’s exactly what she wants. Let her go through with this. It’s Karoz’s choice in the end. Karoz doesn’t have to win, er, lose. Lose, I meant there.”

“Urrggh”, is all Baker Blinker could manage in reply. She stares at a non-costumed Karoz again. You moron, she thinks. You complete fool. You’d do this to *me*!